Crane Park in Winter.

It's been one of those things that I've been meaning to do for ages, but never got round to it. Visiting Crane Park in Hounslow, which is a wildlife park and has the noted historical Shot Tower located in the middle if the grounds. So I decided when the weather got a bit better, to go on a long walk to find this noteworthy place.

I made the effort about a week ago, on an unusual almost spring like sunny day, where if you sat on one of the numerous wooden park benches, you could actually feel a bit warm in the sun!
Named after the River Crane, which threads it's way through the woodland, which can be more like a small meandering stream when water levels are low, then turning into a fast flowing swollen river, with a spell of prolonged heavy rain.

                                                         River Crane view at one of the weirs.

When I visited, it was running fast with a lot of rainwater. And off the main asphalt path, the other paths around were either waterlogged or very muddy. 

Towards the centre of Crane Park is the imposing looking Shot Tower, built in the 18th Century to produce various grades of gunpowder for the army, and was used up to 1926. It was designed in such a way to be resistant to an explosion - The roof would just get blown off by a gunpowder explosion, if the event ever happened. Thankfully the theory was never put to the test!

                                                        The Shot Tower in Crane Park

Never far away, is the reminder that the tranquil looking park is in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport! And whilst I was there, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A.380, and various other large wide bodied airliners, such as British Airways B.747-400's and Boeing 777-200's, 'thundered' over on their departure routes.  

Wandering back along the main path through the woodland, there is almost a rural feeling in the middle of Hounslow in West London, with the river winding around and creating small islands, some with allotments on, for people to grow their own vegetables amidst the trees. 

                                                           Typical Winter view in Crane Park

It's quite a long walk around the park, and I needed a rest after a while, on one of the welcoming looking wooden benches!